Ambient capture systems based on different types of sensors are already known in the prior art and are in widespread use in practice. By way of example, DE 102 41 464 A1 describes a method for capturing the environment of a vehicle by means of sensors of the basis of camera, radar, ultrasound, microwave and infrared, for example. These sensors can, independently of one another, capture any obstacles and thus also validate the signal from another sensor, for example. Since these sensors can essentially detect only objects which are not concealed by obstacles, however, they have only very restricted suitability for warning a driver about hazards which are not visible to the driver himself.
The situation is different, on the other hand, with what are known as vehicle-to-X systems (V2X), which—depending on the wavelengths used—also allow signal transmission around obstacles. If the diffraction properties of the wavelength used for V2X are not suited to allowing propagation around obstacles, however, it is possible, by way of example, to use radio stations which are positioned at suitable locations. These receive a signal and then send it on, as a result of which it is possible to bypass an obstacle. An example which may be mentioned is DE 10 2008 037 883 A1, which discloses a traffic management system which takes a V2X system as a basis for increasing road safety at junctions. In this case, vehicles in the region of the junction use ambient sensors which are present to detect their surroundings and send these data and possibly further data, such as their own position, speed and direction of movement, to a set of traffic lights. There, the data can be processed and sent to further vehicles. This allows, inter alia, warning about objects which are not visible to the driver himself. The incorporation of suitable radio stations into the traffic lights makes use of a physically very well suited position for sending and receiving the signals.
DE 10 2007 001 266 A1 discloses a head up display (HUD) which uses the windscreen of a vehicle for presenting simple, two-dimensional graphics or labels in the field of vision of the driver. This increases convenience for the driver during the journey, since he does not have to direct his glance downward away from the road traffic in order to read a display on the dashboard. Since the driver can also continue to perceive the surroundings through the windshield of the vehicle, the information displayed by the HUD is superimposed on the perception of the surroundings in the eye of the driver. Navigation advice, markers for particular buildings or other two-dimensional elements can therefore be inserted into the perception of the surroundings. As a result, the driver perceives the surroundings as usual and is provided with additional information matched to the surroundings by means of the HUD. This technique is known per se by the term “augmented reality”.
A disadvantage of the devices known from the prior art which warn the driver of a vehicle about hazards is, inter alia, that a situation is presented only in highly stylized form using simple, two-dimensional graphics. However, since the driver is primarily observing the surroundings and hence real, three-dimensional objects, he first of all needs to associate the presentation with reality when viewing a stylized two-dimensional presentation of his environment—irrespective of whether this presentation is displayed on a screen in the dashboard or on an HUD.
It is the object of the present invention to provide the driver with information about objects and potential hazards in his surroundings in an immediately comprehensible manner which goes beyond the possibilities of a simple two-dimensional presentation.
The invention achieves this object by means of the visual driver information and warning system and the method according to this invention.